IN GLOBAL MOBILITY AND BUSINESS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
GSAIR 2024 : EMEA 14
BUILDING TRUST
IN GLOBAL MOBILITY AND BUSINESS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
By NOURAN ZARROUG Founder , NuLight Consulting
Nouran Zarroug is the Founder of NuLight , a Consultancy within the Business Travel and Global Mobility sectors . Here , she emphasises the importance of building trust around technology and highlights why collaboration is essential for its long-term success .
In today ’ s rapidly evolving , and at times uncertain , Global Mobility and Business Travel landscape , trust is the cornerstone for both brand reputation and long-term client loyalty . As technology continues to revolutionise the way we work , communicate , and conduct business ; building and maintaining trust across our eco-systems becomes even more critical .
Today , trust around Serviced Apartment technology has plenty of room for growth ; with both Business Travel and Global Mobility managers frequently stating that there is insufficient transparency and a feeling of ‘ smoke and mirrors ’ around the finer details . Could there be a disconnect between the claimed and actual capabilities of technology within the Global Mobility and Business Travel landscape ?
TRUST ISSUES
Whilst we have seen significant advances within Serviced Apartment technology since the pandemic , there remains some trepidation even at times cynicism amongst some corporate buyers when researching suppliers within the space . Many have explained that they have been promised an all-encompassing technology solution , however in the cold light of day , this has rarely materialised .
There have been extensive discussions around API connectivity offering access to vast amounts of inventory globally , bookings within seconds and instant confirmations . Whilst this certainly exists for some properties , the stark reality is that ( for a wide variety of reasons ) this is simply not the case for the majority .
Many corporate buyers who manage global programmes have described that once implementation / integration has concluded ( post RFP ), the day-to-day reality has proved quite different . It is commonly known that well-established modern metropolises such as London , New York , Singapore etc can deliver speedy serviced apartments bookings through RMC and TMC interfaces , however , many of the tertiary cities seem to be heavily reliant on the back-and-forth email method . Furthermore , within the global mobility sector where stays begin at 30 nights and can go up to 12 months , bookings and the subsequent trails of emails take on a further layer of complexity .
Not only are corporate buyers quickly realising this , but they are also openly discussing their experiences with their peers ( most buyers will discuss their RFP shortlist with other buyers to compare and learn of their experiences before making a final decision on the successful supplier ).
Hence , overall trust has slowly been eroding and buyers are a little confused on what is realistic and possible today from a technology perspective .
THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY
As an industry that is facing a rollercoaster of volatility , now is the time to prioritise transparency above anything else when describing what is truly possible today versus the long-term vision . Only through this honesty and openness will we truly be able to both educate corporate buyers and build back trust around technology solutions .
In fact , many corporates would go further and state the sheer refreshing honesty of suppliers would catapult them to the shortlist of preferred providers .
The industry is aware of the challenges , specifically the biggest barrier being access to a centralised platform and distribution system that everyone can enjoy affordably . Additionally , agents and operators must navigate the fine tightrope of loading availability online , predicting lead times and most crucially , protecting longer stay opportunities that at times can come in very last minute !
Rather than trying to mask these challenges or minimise the impact from buyers and competitors , we should encourage open dialogue and transparency and work towards broader solutions together .